


Redecorating

by whoviangoesthere



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Caboose needs hugs, Gen, He is my precious son, RvB Fluff Week, Season/Series 13 Spoilers, Tumblr Prompt, he gets them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2018-11-17 04:48:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11268258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoviangoesthere/pseuds/whoviangoesthere
Summary: Chorus needs a little TLC.  Caboose needs some too.





	Redecorating

**Author's Note:**

> Response to the prompt "We're going to need a lot of spackle" from StarTrails on Tumblr.

              Donut is the first one who volunteers his services when Chorus starts redecorating.

              It’s been a month since the _Staff of Charon_ , and people are slowly getting ready to move on.  Soldiers are being released from the infirmaries.  Funerals have been held, memorial candles burned, and everyone is starting to think about what happens next.

              Kimball suggests that maybe the solution is closer to home.

              “I don’t think we need to leave,” she says one day in the once-daily meetings that have devolved into an excuse for Kimball and her team to meet and hang out.  “There’s enough space here.  We just need to...”

              “Redecorate?”

              Donut materializes out of nowhere, seeing as he hadn’t actually been in the room, with a grin on his face.  Kimball sighs, hiding a smile.

              “Yes, Donut.  Redecorating.”

              “Oh, good, I have so many ideas!”

              It only takes a few days before the changes become obvious.  The mess hall benches are revamped into actual tables, complete with cushions.  The dirty streets are cleaned, storefronts tentatively opening up.  And the bunkrooms are changed into small apartments, person by person.

              Caboose is next up after all Wash wants is to add a small collection of cat pictures above his desk.

              “Oh, hello,” Caboose says as he opens the door to find Donut wielding a toolbox, surrounded by the Reds and Blues.  “Um, I do not think I want makeup on my face, it gets very messy.”

              “Don’t be silly!” Donut says, pushing past Caboose into his room.  He spins around, taking in the room.  There’s the standard desk, dresser, bed and tiny bathroom, all connected by four bland walls Caboose had covered with colorful drawings.

              Donut slows.  _Three_ walls.  The fourth is distinctly barren.

              “Are those _hinges?_ ” Donut asks before stepping forward.

              “Um, I would not touch that wall,” Caboose says hurriedly.  “There were, um, bad things, and, uh…”

              He doesn’t get to finish his thought before Donut pushes the wall and a door swings open.  There are murmurs from Red team (the only ones who have managed to squeeze through the door) as Donut peers down the steps leading into the passage that is now open.

              “Um, guys?” Donut calls over.  “We’re gonna need a lot of spackle.”

              Caboose hovers nearby and timidly steps in front of the door.

              “Oh, um, I just…if you go down there, you will, um…you will get confused!  And, um…”

              “Caboose, son,” Sarge starts, pulling out his shotgun.  “You’ve been hiding some sort of top secret underground bunker and you’re not gonna let us in it?  I’d rethink that move if I were you, Blue.”

              Caboose worries at his hands as everyone makes their way down the stairs, Wash pausing to pat Caboose’s shoulder as he passes by last.

              Downstairs, there’s a large dark room.  Donut fumbles for a light switch and gasps as the bulbs flicker on.

              “Now, don’t get upset!” Caboose tries to say from the back of the crowd.  “I can…I can explain.”

              Lining the walls are several machines of varying shapes and sizes.  Some of them look like Freckles, only smaller.  Others look a lot like Lopez, only bigger.  And some don’t look like anything, only that they’re clearly a form of robot, and they all have some sort of gun.

              All eyes turn to Caboose as he shoved his way through everyone and stumbles into the room.

              Wash speaks first.

              “Caboose?” he says, slowly and carefully.  Everyone realizes he’s trying to be careful what he says, as he has vivid memories of the last time Caboose built a robot and people didn’t understand why.  “What – no, _why_ do you have a bunch of robots in your basement?”

              Caboose looks crestfallen.  He drags his feet over to the closest robot, a body the same size as him, holding a sniper rifle in its hands.

              “I miss Church,” Caboose says, so quietly that Wash can barely hear him.  “So I made him a body.  And some friends.  And maybe, when he comes back, he can use it.”

              Next to Wash, Tucker lets out a huge sigh before making his way towards Caboose.  He heaves a deep breath before wrapping his arms around Caboose’s neck and hugging him tightly.

              “I miss him too, buddy,” he tells him, and Caboose returns the hug, so tightly Tucker lets out a painful grunt.  Tucker extracts himself from Caboose’s arms and turns to the other robots.

              “Do they work?”

              Caboose falters for a moment.

              “Um, what do you - ”

              “Do they turn on?  Come on, we need to see them in action!”

              Caboose’s face brightens into a smile.

              “Oh, okay!  Yes, they do.”

              He presses a switch, and the far wall opens up to reveal the motor pool.  Donut groans.

              “Your room is above a _garage?_ ” he cries.  “This redecorating is going to be a _nightmare_.  I’m gonna have to block out the sound of the cars, and oil just does _not_ get out of carpeting, and…”

              Donut continues back up the stairs, murmuring to himself, while Caboose excitedly turns on the robot closest to the entrance.  It whirs to life and turns towards Caboose.

              “ **Please state objective** ,” it declares.  Caboose beams at it.

              “Lucky!  Go play!”

              The robot turns and ambles off into the motor pool.  Caboose turns to the next robot.

              “Spot!  Can you execute Piggyback Ride?”

              “ **Affirmative.”**

Caboose turns to the others expectantly, and the Reds and Blues surge forward, raising their hands.

              “Pick me, pick me!” Tucker shouts, jumping up and down.

              “Oh come on, pick _me_!” Grif complains.  “I’ll never have to walk anywhere again!”

              Wash falls back and chuckles to himself.  He turns as Carolina comes storming down the stairs.

              “Why is Donut freaking out about soundproofing upstairs?  And _why are there a dozen robots down here?_ ”

              Wash laughs at her stunned face before turning to leave.

              “Caboose has it under control,” he says.

              “That’s not very reassuring.”

              “Trust me.” Wash catches her arm and leads her up the stairs.  “It should be.”

**Author's Note:**

> Still taking prompts over at all-made-of-stardust on Tumblr!


End file.
